IntroductionMany children affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) exhibit neurocogniti... more IntroductionMany children affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) exhibit neurocognitive delays that contribute to secondary consequences, including a disrupted school experience. Educators often have limited knowledge or experience in the identification, referral, management and accommodation of students with FASD. Effective resources and tools for educators are crucial to ensure these students are supported in their ongoing learning, development and school participation. This scoping review aims to identify and evaluate resources for educators that aid in the identification, management, or accommodation of students with FASD.Methods and analysisA search will be conducted in 9 peer-reviewed and 11 grey literature databases, Google search engine, two app stores and two podcast streaming services (planned search dates: November 2020 to February 2021). Relevant experts, including researchers, health professionals and individuals with lived experience of FASD, will be contac...
Background Physical inactivity, poor diet, sedentary recreational screen time, poor sleep, alcoho... more Background Physical inactivity, poor diet, sedentary recreational screen time, poor sleep, alcohol use and smoking (the “Big 6”) are key lifestyle risk factors for chronic disease. The Big 6 typically emerge during adolescence, co-occur and continue into adulthood. To improve short- and long-term health, early and effective prevention is critical. Methods A cluster randomised controlled trial (ACTRN12619000431123) is being conducted in 71 schools across NSW, QLD and WA. Schools are randomised to the Health4life intervention or health education as usual. The intervention has three components: 1) An online, school-based program delivered to all Year 7 students; 2) An accompanying smartphone application (all students); 3) Booster content, delivered to at-risk students in Years 8 and 9. Students complete questionnaires on five occasions over three years. Results Preliminary analyses including 6716 students (49% female) indicated that 22% of participants met national guidelines for physi...
Aim: To examine the relationship between different patterns of alcohol use and internalising symp... more Aim: To examine the relationship between different patterns of alcohol use and internalising symptoms in a large contemporary cohort of 13-year-olds. Methods: Data came from a large cohort of Australian youth, participating in the CLIMATE Schools Combined study. This study included 6386 students (mean age = 13.5, SD = 0.6) from 71 secondary schools across three Australian states. Associations between different patterns of alcohol use and internalising symptoms related to depression (revised version of the PHQ-A), generalised anxiety disorder (GAD-7), social phobia (MINI-SPIN), psychological distress (K6) and the emotion subscale of the SDQ were investigated. Results: Compared with non-drinkers, low levels of drinking (consumed a full serve of alcohol but never reported risky drinking) and risky drinking (5 or more standard drinks on one occasion) during early adolescence were strongly associated with a range of internalising symptoms in both males and females. These relationships were largely explained by externalising symptoms in males but not females. Conclusions: Both low and risky levels of alcohol use in early adolescence are associated with internalising symptoms. The findings have implications for the timing of school-based prevention programs, and suggest future preventive efforts should adopt a combined approach to reducing alcohol use and mental health disorders in tandem.
ABSTRACT Aims: We examined parental influences on drinking over two contexts – a typical social o... more ABSTRACT Aims: We examined parental influences on drinking over two contexts – a typical social occasion, and at ‘Schoolies’, a multiple-day mass celebration. Particular focus was placed on addressing the mixed literature on the impact of parental alcohol supply. Methods: Australian adolescents aged 17–18 completed a Last Event (N = 541) and post-Schoolies survey (N = 405). Results: Parental supply of alcohol was commonplace at the Last Event (21%) and at Schoolies (25%). At the Last Event, exclusive parental supply was associated with lower consumption (10 vs. 12 standard drinks; p = .03). However, around half supplemented parental alcohol with other sources of alcohol and this nullified any protective effects. Parental supply did not affect quantity at Schoolies, though engaging with parents in a safety discussion about drinking was protective. Across both contexts, perceived parental disapproval of risky consumption mitigated against risk. Conclusions: Identifying whether alcohol supplied by parents was combined with other sources was relevant, and parental supply per se is unlikely to be protective as this supply was commonly topped up. Parental safety discussions lowered risk at Schoolies and should continue to be promoted. Right up to the time when young adults were drinking in both typical and high-risk environments, parental disapproval continued to exert a protective influence over drinking.
Introduction To identify studies reporting costs arising from tobacco use and detail their (1) ec... more Introduction To identify studies reporting costs arising from tobacco use and detail their (1) economic approaches, (2) health outcomes, and (3) other cost areas included. Methods We searched PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, EconLit, and Google Scholar for studies published between 2008 and April 2018 in English. Eligible articles reported tobacco-related costs and included all tobacco-using populations (multinational, national, subpopulations, and involuntary smokers). All economic approaches that resulted in monetary outcomes were included. We reported USD or converted local currencies to USD. Two health economists extracted and two researchers independently reviewed the data. Results From 4083 articles, we reviewed 361 abstracts and examined 79 full-texts, with 63 (1.6%) deemed eligible. There were three multinational, thirty-four national, twenty-one subpopulation or condition(s)-specific analyses, and five evaluating involuntary smoking. The diverse approaches and outcomes pre...
To examine ADHD symptom persistence and subtype stability among substance use disorder (SUD) trea... more To examine ADHD symptom persistence and subtype stability among substance use disorder (SUD) treatment seekers. In all, 1,276 adult SUD treatment seekers were assessed for childhood and adult ADHD using Conners' Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV; CAADID). A total of 290 (22.7%) participants met CAADID criteria for childhood ADHD and comprise the current study sample. Childhood ADHD persisted into adulthood in 72.8% (n = 211) of cases. ADHD persistence was significantly associated with a family history of ADHD, and the presence of conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder. The combined subtype was the most stable into adulthood (78.6%) and this stability was significantly associated with conduct disorder and past treatment of ADHD. ADHD is highly prevalent and persistent among SUD treatment seekers and is associated with the more severe phenotype that is also less likely to remit. Routine screenin...
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 2016
Background and Aims: Our understanding of patient pathways through specialist Alcohol and Other D... more Background and Aims: Our understanding of patient pathways through specialist Alcohol and Other Drug treatment and broader health/welfare systems in Australia remains limited. This study examines how treatment outcomes are influenced by continuity in specialist Alcohol and Other Drug treatment, engagement with community services and mutual aid, and explores differences between clients who present with a primary alcohol problem relative to those presenting with a primary drug issue. Method: In a prospective, multi-site treatment outcome study, 796 clients from 21 Alcohol and Other Drug services in Victoria and Western Australia completed a baseline interview between January 2012 and January 2013. A total of 555 (70%) completed a follow-up assessment of subsequent service use and Alcohol and Other Drug use outcomes 12-months later. Results: Just over half of the participants (52.0%) showed reliable reductions in use of, or abstinence from, their primary drug of concern. This was highe...
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) often co-occur, partly b... more Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) often co-occur, partly because they share risk factors. In this international multicenter study, risk factors for BPD were examined for SUD patients. In total, 1,205 patients were comprehensively examined by standardized interviews and questionnaires on psychiatric diagnosis and risk factors, and it was found that 1,033 (85.7%) had SUDs without BPD (SUD) and 172 (14.3%) had SUD with BPD (SUD + BPD). SUD + BPD patients were significantly younger, more often females and more often diagnosed with comorbid adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. SUD + BPD patients did not differ from SUD patients on most risk factors typical for SUD such as maternal use of drugs during pregnancy or parents having any SUD. However, SUD + BPD patients did have a higher risk of having experienced emotional and physical abuse, neglect, or family violence in childhood compared to SUD patients, suggesting that child abuse and fam...
Harmful drinking among young people is common in Australia and many other countries. Social norms... more Harmful drinking among young people is common in Australia and many other countries. Social norms and their influence on adolescents' alcohol consumption behaviours have received much research attention in recent years. However, there is limited understanding of how social norms related to alcohol are developed and transmitted across social networks and a specific tool that measures these constructs has yet to be developed. This paper outlines the rationale and protocol for the design and validation of a multidimensional survey instrument which measures the development and transmission pathways of alcohol-related norms among adolescents. A longer term aim is to apply the instrument in a respondent-driven sampling study with a large adolescent cohort. Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and relevant literature will guide the design of the online survey instrument. Feedback from a practitioner-based stakeholder committee, academic expert panel reviews, focus groups and interviews with a...
IntroductionMany children affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) exhibit neurocogniti... more IntroductionMany children affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) exhibit neurocognitive delays that contribute to secondary consequences, including a disrupted school experience. Educators often have limited knowledge or experience in the identification, referral, management and accommodation of students with FASD. Effective resources and tools for educators are crucial to ensure these students are supported in their ongoing learning, development and school participation. This scoping review aims to identify and evaluate resources for educators that aid in the identification, management, or accommodation of students with FASD.Methods and analysisA search will be conducted in 9 peer-reviewed and 11 grey literature databases, Google search engine, two app stores and two podcast streaming services (planned search dates: November 2020 to February 2021). Relevant experts, including researchers, health professionals and individuals with lived experience of FASD, will be contac...
Background Physical inactivity, poor diet, sedentary recreational screen time, poor sleep, alcoho... more Background Physical inactivity, poor diet, sedentary recreational screen time, poor sleep, alcohol use and smoking (the “Big 6”) are key lifestyle risk factors for chronic disease. The Big 6 typically emerge during adolescence, co-occur and continue into adulthood. To improve short- and long-term health, early and effective prevention is critical. Methods A cluster randomised controlled trial (ACTRN12619000431123) is being conducted in 71 schools across NSW, QLD and WA. Schools are randomised to the Health4life intervention or health education as usual. The intervention has three components: 1) An online, school-based program delivered to all Year 7 students; 2) An accompanying smartphone application (all students); 3) Booster content, delivered to at-risk students in Years 8 and 9. Students complete questionnaires on five occasions over three years. Results Preliminary analyses including 6716 students (49% female) indicated that 22% of participants met national guidelines for physi...
Aim: To examine the relationship between different patterns of alcohol use and internalising symp... more Aim: To examine the relationship between different patterns of alcohol use and internalising symptoms in a large contemporary cohort of 13-year-olds. Methods: Data came from a large cohort of Australian youth, participating in the CLIMATE Schools Combined study. This study included 6386 students (mean age = 13.5, SD = 0.6) from 71 secondary schools across three Australian states. Associations between different patterns of alcohol use and internalising symptoms related to depression (revised version of the PHQ-A), generalised anxiety disorder (GAD-7), social phobia (MINI-SPIN), psychological distress (K6) and the emotion subscale of the SDQ were investigated. Results: Compared with non-drinkers, low levels of drinking (consumed a full serve of alcohol but never reported risky drinking) and risky drinking (5 or more standard drinks on one occasion) during early adolescence were strongly associated with a range of internalising symptoms in both males and females. These relationships were largely explained by externalising symptoms in males but not females. Conclusions: Both low and risky levels of alcohol use in early adolescence are associated with internalising symptoms. The findings have implications for the timing of school-based prevention programs, and suggest future preventive efforts should adopt a combined approach to reducing alcohol use and mental health disorders in tandem.
ABSTRACT Aims: We examined parental influences on drinking over two contexts – a typical social o... more ABSTRACT Aims: We examined parental influences on drinking over two contexts – a typical social occasion, and at ‘Schoolies’, a multiple-day mass celebration. Particular focus was placed on addressing the mixed literature on the impact of parental alcohol supply. Methods: Australian adolescents aged 17–18 completed a Last Event (N = 541) and post-Schoolies survey (N = 405). Results: Parental supply of alcohol was commonplace at the Last Event (21%) and at Schoolies (25%). At the Last Event, exclusive parental supply was associated with lower consumption (10 vs. 12 standard drinks; p = .03). However, around half supplemented parental alcohol with other sources of alcohol and this nullified any protective effects. Parental supply did not affect quantity at Schoolies, though engaging with parents in a safety discussion about drinking was protective. Across both contexts, perceived parental disapproval of risky consumption mitigated against risk. Conclusions: Identifying whether alcohol supplied by parents was combined with other sources was relevant, and parental supply per se is unlikely to be protective as this supply was commonly topped up. Parental safety discussions lowered risk at Schoolies and should continue to be promoted. Right up to the time when young adults were drinking in both typical and high-risk environments, parental disapproval continued to exert a protective influence over drinking.
Introduction To identify studies reporting costs arising from tobacco use and detail their (1) ec... more Introduction To identify studies reporting costs arising from tobacco use and detail their (1) economic approaches, (2) health outcomes, and (3) other cost areas included. Methods We searched PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, EconLit, and Google Scholar for studies published between 2008 and April 2018 in English. Eligible articles reported tobacco-related costs and included all tobacco-using populations (multinational, national, subpopulations, and involuntary smokers). All economic approaches that resulted in monetary outcomes were included. We reported USD or converted local currencies to USD. Two health economists extracted and two researchers independently reviewed the data. Results From 4083 articles, we reviewed 361 abstracts and examined 79 full-texts, with 63 (1.6%) deemed eligible. There were three multinational, thirty-four national, twenty-one subpopulation or condition(s)-specific analyses, and five evaluating involuntary smoking. The diverse approaches and outcomes pre...
To examine ADHD symptom persistence and subtype stability among substance use disorder (SUD) trea... more To examine ADHD symptom persistence and subtype stability among substance use disorder (SUD) treatment seekers. In all, 1,276 adult SUD treatment seekers were assessed for childhood and adult ADHD using Conners' Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV; CAADID). A total of 290 (22.7%) participants met CAADID criteria for childhood ADHD and comprise the current study sample. Childhood ADHD persisted into adulthood in 72.8% (n = 211) of cases. ADHD persistence was significantly associated with a family history of ADHD, and the presence of conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder. The combined subtype was the most stable into adulthood (78.6%) and this stability was significantly associated with conduct disorder and past treatment of ADHD. ADHD is highly prevalent and persistent among SUD treatment seekers and is associated with the more severe phenotype that is also less likely to remit. Routine screenin...
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 2016
Background and Aims: Our understanding of patient pathways through specialist Alcohol and Other D... more Background and Aims: Our understanding of patient pathways through specialist Alcohol and Other Drug treatment and broader health/welfare systems in Australia remains limited. This study examines how treatment outcomes are influenced by continuity in specialist Alcohol and Other Drug treatment, engagement with community services and mutual aid, and explores differences between clients who present with a primary alcohol problem relative to those presenting with a primary drug issue. Method: In a prospective, multi-site treatment outcome study, 796 clients from 21 Alcohol and Other Drug services in Victoria and Western Australia completed a baseline interview between January 2012 and January 2013. A total of 555 (70%) completed a follow-up assessment of subsequent service use and Alcohol and Other Drug use outcomes 12-months later. Results: Just over half of the participants (52.0%) showed reliable reductions in use of, or abstinence from, their primary drug of concern. This was highe...
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) often co-occur, partly b... more Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) often co-occur, partly because they share risk factors. In this international multicenter study, risk factors for BPD were examined for SUD patients. In total, 1,205 patients were comprehensively examined by standardized interviews and questionnaires on psychiatric diagnosis and risk factors, and it was found that 1,033 (85.7%) had SUDs without BPD (SUD) and 172 (14.3%) had SUD with BPD (SUD + BPD). SUD + BPD patients were significantly younger, more often females and more often diagnosed with comorbid adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. SUD + BPD patients did not differ from SUD patients on most risk factors typical for SUD such as maternal use of drugs during pregnancy or parents having any SUD. However, SUD + BPD patients did have a higher risk of having experienced emotional and physical abuse, neglect, or family violence in childhood compared to SUD patients, suggesting that child abuse and fam...
Harmful drinking among young people is common in Australia and many other countries. Social norms... more Harmful drinking among young people is common in Australia and many other countries. Social norms and their influence on adolescents' alcohol consumption behaviours have received much research attention in recent years. However, there is limited understanding of how social norms related to alcohol are developed and transmitted across social networks and a specific tool that measures these constructs has yet to be developed. This paper outlines the rationale and protocol for the design and validation of a multidimensional survey instrument which measures the development and transmission pathways of alcohol-related norms among adolescents. A longer term aim is to apply the instrument in a respondent-driven sampling study with a large adolescent cohort. Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and relevant literature will guide the design of the online survey instrument. Feedback from a practitioner-based stakeholder committee, academic expert panel reviews, focus groups and interviews with a...
Uploads